Good news for poor patients, same rate of treatment and investigation will be applicable in private hospitals of Jharkhand.

Bipin Singh, Ranchi: Good news is coming for the middle class and poor patients who are facing the brunt of expensive tests and treatment. Efforts to bring uniformity in the rates of investigation (radiology/pathology) and treatment in private hospitals across the country have intensified. While hearing a PIL in the first week of March, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court had given instructions to the health secretaries of all the states. The secretaries were asked to hold a meeting and prepare a concrete proposal on the said subject in the next six weeks and present it before the division bench in the next hearing. The case may be heard in the Supreme Court in the last week of this month. Under this, the Principal Secretary of the Health Department of Jharkhand has sent a letter to all the regional deputy directors of the department, civil surgeons and deputy superintendents of hospitals, directing them to attend the meeting.

The problem of claim payment will be resolved:

This entire exercise is being done to remove the problems faced in payment of treatment claims under Ayushman Yojana and Central Government Health Insurance Scheme. The objective is also to provide accessible treatment to people who are outside the scope of insurance. If the proposals received from the Health Department are implemented, then hospitals, clinics and radiology centers operated under the ‘Clinical Establishment Act-2010’ will be brought under its purview. It will be implemented under Rule 9 added in the said Act in 2012. Under the rule, there will be uniformity in the fees for all types of tests and treatments in private hospitals, clinics and radiology centres.

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Ideas under Cashless Everywhere Plan:

These schemes are under consideration under the Cashless Everywhere Plan. Where a beneficiary of a government scheme or a policyholder under any insurance can get treatment from any hospital in the country. Currently, different hospitals charge different rates for treatment, making it difficult to implement a cashless health insurance system in the country.

Only 408 private hospitals have registered:

Under the Clinical Establishment Act, about 518 small and big private hospitals, clinics and radiology centers are operating in Ranchi district. Of these, only 408 private hospitals and clinics have registered themselves with the Health Department through the portal under the Act.